Flash light



L. A. MILLER.

I FLASH LIGHT. APPLICATION FILED JULY"14.I92I

1,421,528 Patented July 4,1922.

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LOUIS A. MILLER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WINCHESTER I'IONOF CONNECTICUT.

FLASH LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4t, 1922.

Application filed July 14, 1921. Serial No. 484,589.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven, State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flash Lights; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in flashlights, and relates especially toa new and improved form of latch mechanism for re taining the lid orcover in closed position.

In the usual construction of flashlights the case is open at one end, topermit the removal and insertion of the battery. A lid or cover isprovided for closing the end of the case, the lid or cover being hingedto the case at one side, and having latch mechanism at the other forholding it closed.

This latch mechanism is usually in the form of an integral tongue on thecover, engaging a catch or shoulder on the case, the tongue being heldin engagement with the catch by its own resiliency, and both tongue andshoulder, in order that the battery space he not encroached upon, areoutside the case.

The extremity of the tongue is curved outwardly away from the case tofacilitate its release, when desired, and presents a projection prone tocatch in the clothing or on other obstructions. The tongue is ofrelatively light sheet material and when so caught the cover may bejerked open, with consequent displacement of the parts. Furthermore, thetongue is liable to be bent in such manner that it will not closelyengage the shoulder and a repetition of such bending will finally makethe latch inoperative, and may cause the tongue to break away from thecover.

The object of the present invention is to provide a construction oflatch mechanism such that while the battery space is not encroachedupon, the latch mechanism is within the case, and presents noprojections to catch upon obstructions.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a flash light of usual construction providedwith the improved latch mechanism, and with a part in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end view looking at the cover.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through the latch mechanism.

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with aflashlight of usual construction, comprising the case 1, having at oneend a socket for supporting the bulb 2 and having at the other a lid orcover 3, which is hinged to the body of the case at one side of thecover, as indicated at 4.

The latch mechanism comprises a tongue 5 integral with the cover in thepresent instance and this tongue has a transverse groove 6, adapted toengage a similarly shaped shoulder 7 on the case. The shoul der is,however, in the present instance in side of the case being formed withina species of sheath 8. The sheath is provided for by outwardlyoffsetting a portion of the side wall of the case, far enough so thatthe tongue 5 will slip into the same but not so far that an unsightlyprojection will be presented. The transverse groove 6 is formed on theouter face of the tongue and the rib 7 is on the inner face of thesheath wall. With this arrangement there is no possibility of the tonguebeing engaged with foreign objects, to bend the same, or to open thecover, and the case presents a neater and more finished appearance atthis point. The cover is easily opened by engaging the same with thethumb nail adjacent to the sheath. It will be obvious that if desiredthe cover might be extended slightly on each side of the sheath to forma point of engagement for the nail.

I claim: 1. In a flashlight, the combination with the case, and thecover hinged at one side to the case and latch mechanism for holding thecover to the case, and comprising a tongue on the cover and a catch onthe case wall, that portion of the wall carrying the catch being offsetoutwardly beyond the plane of the wall thereby to leave the interior ofthe case unobstructed by the latch mechanism.

2. In a flashlight, the combination with the case, and the hinged cover,of latch mechanism in connection with the cover and case for holding thecover closed, said mechanism comprising a resilient tongue upon thecover, and a sheath in connection with the case wall in which the tongueengages, the case wall being offset outwardly to form said c1osed,'s2tidniecha-nism comprising a resiiient tongue upon the cover, and anoutwardly offsetportlon 0n the casing wall into "which the tongueextends, the tongue and outwardly offset "portion having interengagingmeansforholding the cover closed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LOUIS A. MILLER.

